‘Goldbergs’ Plans Ultimate Warrior Tribute Episode

“Goldbergs” creator Adam Goldberg says the show’s May 6 episode will be a tribute to recently deceased wrestling star The Ultimate Warrior.

ABC, which airs “The Goldbergs,” said the episode will feature middle child Barry joining the high school wrestling team without telling his mom, Beverly. Another plotline involves Adam hoping to attend the premiere of “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.”

Goldberg has been tweeting since last week about trying to arrange a tribute episode, reaching out to WWE CEO Vince McMahon and others. The Ultimate Warrior, who was born James Brian Hellwig, died April 8 at the age of 54 of cardiovascular disease.

“With the help of fans on Twitter, I was able to get in touch with [Warrior’s] family and I’m thrilled to dedicate the May 6th episode to him,” Goldberg said. “It’s my way of saying thank you for being the coolest hero a kid could ever have.”

Goldberg’s highly autobiographical show is set in the 1980s, when the Ultimate Warrior gained World Wrestling Federation fame. (It later became World Wrestling Entertainment.)

The Ultimate Warrior started wrestling professionally with World Class Championship Wrestling in 1986, and “Jedi” premiered in 1983. But the show doesn’t worry itself too much over precise timelines — Goldberg notes in his Twitter profile that it is “very anachronistic.”